February 4, 2011
By Rebecca Gladden
As hard as it is for most of us to believe, it has already been ten years since the fatal racing collision that claimed the life of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt on February 18, 2001.
Now, with the 2011 Daytona 500 just weeks away, much of the NASCAR community's current focus is on commemorating the upcoming anniversary with tributes and recollections about Earnhardt - the driver and the man.
While the official entry list for this year's Great American Race has not been finalized, three drivers have the potential to provide the sport with a particularly meaningful start to the season, should one of them win the Daytona 500 this year:
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - For many reasons, a win by Earnhardt Jr. to start the 2011 season would be significant. Back in 2001, the year of his father's fatal crash, Junior was running second in the race, just one spot ahead of Dale Sr., when the wreck occurred in the last turn of the last lap. While fans have heard him speak of the incident through the years, no one but Junior himself really knows the depth of the internal struggles he went through and, to some degree, is still going through.
With all the attention being paid to the tenth anniversary of the accident, Dale Jr. has already been peppered with questions about the day and his dad in general, though he has indicated he would prefer to stay in the background with regard to the commemorative events.
Compounding the situation is the fact that Earnhardt Jr. has struggled on the track the past few years, despite several crew chief changes and a well-publicized move to Hendrick Motorsports prior to the '08 season. While it would be unfair to place any added pressure on Earnhardt Jr. to perform, there's no denying that a 500 win by him would be a huge boost to NASCAR and the Junior Nation, while perhaps providing some closure for Dale Jr. as well.
And he has the ability to win here - he's won twice at Daytona in the Cup Series and six times in the Nationwide Series.
2. Kevin Harvick - Though Harvick drives the No. 29 car for Richard Childress Racing, fans of the sport know that he was the driver picked by Childress to replace Dale Earnhardt in the No. 3 car after Earnhardt's death in the 2001 Daytona 500.
At the time, Harvick was competing in the Nationwide Series, but took on the daunting task of filling Earnhardt's seat in the GM Goodwrench ride to the best of his ability. Harvick went on to win two Cup races that season, the first coming in his third start, while also taking the Nationwide title.
In so doing, Harvick became the first driver in history to run fulltime in both the Cup and Nationwide Series simultaneously and the first to be named Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year during the same season that he earned the Nationwide championship.
Perhaps more importantly, Harvick became a visible symbol to Earnhardt's fans that the team and the sport would go on. While Harvick has won twice at Daytona in the Cup Series since 2001, a win in this year's Daytona 500 would be especially fitting. Kevin is the reigning Cup winner at this track after taking the 2010 Coke Zero 400 last July.
3. Michael Waltrip - For the past ten years, Waltrip has spoken very little about the tragic day in 2001 when his greatest dream and worst nightmare came true at exactly the same time. He was in the lead on the last lap of the Daytona 500 that year, making his very first start driving for Dale Earnhardt. It wasn't until he was standing in Victory Lane that Waltrip was told about the seriousness of Earnhardt's accident.
Now, ten years later, Michael has transitioned into a successful team owner as well as an author. His newly-released book, "In the Blink of an Eye: Dale, Daytona, and the Day that Changed Everything," shares his private memories of Earnhardt's death and the aftermath. Though he's no longer a full-time driver, Waltrip will be attempting to run this year's Daytona 500 (he reportedly has to qualify on time) in a car designed to serve as a tribute to Earnhardt. If he makes the field, Waltrip will celebrate his 25th consecutive Daytona 500 start, as well as the tenth anniversary of his 2001 Daytona 500 win.
"Ten years ago, I won the 500 in my first race with NAPA and we know February 18, 2001, is a day that NASCAR fans will never forget. What looked to be a storybook ending turned to tragedy seconds later", said Waltrip. "To mark the tenth anniversary of that race and my 25th consecutive 500 will be quite emotional for me and fans alike."
A victory in the Daytona 500 by any one of these drivers would provide an uplifting start to the 2011 season and would continue the healing process for the sport and its fans.
Though a win by Waltrip is unlikely, it would perhaps be the most gratifying of all.
Through no fault of his own, Michael was denied the opportunity to savor his victory ten years ago. He won a subsequent Daytona 500 for DEI in 2003, but a hollowness persisted.
A win this year would finally provide a bit of that storybook ending.
Follow Rebecca on Twitter: @nscrwriter
You can contact Rebecca at.. Insider Racing News
You Can Read Other Articles By Rebecca
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
